Ants: Facts and More

There are many different types of interesting creatures on the planet including ants. Ants, like most insects, are said to have existed on the planet for millions of years. Of all the different types of ants that exist, the first one that most people may usually think about is fire ants. Another commonly thought of breed in this species is the sugar ant. Another fact that many may or may not know is that ants can lift an object 20 times their body weight. Because of this, they are considered to be one of the strongest creatures when it comes to their size. In addition, like most insects, ants have six legs, antenna, and live in colonies. When it comes to ants and their facts, there is an entire world that opens up in a person’s mind.

One fact about ants compares to the human brain. The human brain consists of about 10 million brain cells. Ants have 250,000 brain cells; however, within a colony there are about 40,000 ants at one time. Because of this, the collective of ants is similar to that of a human brain. Ants are much like bees in the way that they function within the colony. Much like bees, ants have a queen and ‘jobs’ in order to keep the colony running. However, even though they have these different jobs, the sole job that they attend to is protecting the queen at all times. It is said that the average lifespan of an ant is about 45-60 days. These are but a few facts about ants, however.

Within the world there are over 10,000 species of this insect. These species include the leaf-cutter ant, fire ant, and wood ants. Each breed, as with most breeds of the animal and insect realm, is local to different parts of the planet. For instance, when it comes to the wood ant, are mostly located across southern Britain, North to Mid Europe, Pyrenees and Siberia. This ant alone has 200 different breeds within it. Most insects of the ant family are found in tropical forests.

Another fact that surrounds ants is that some of them do not have eyes. Much like that of the snake using its tongue, ants use their antenna for smell as well as touch. This is one of many ways they find food to bring back to the colony. When it comes to their food intake, some ants have been proven to have two stomachs. One stomach is said to hold food for themselves whilst the other contains food for other ants. This allows for an equal share of rations amongst the entire colony. Also, a fact about ants that many may not know is that some are asexual. This means that there is no need of a mate for ants can clone themselves.

There are many more facts about ants that a majority of people may or may not know. On the world-wide web, pages and pages of information can be seen about these insects. Some facts may even scare people like the fact that, with enough bites, ants can send a human being into the hospital. Fire ants have been known to do this. This, however, is not a common condition that is heard of. As with any creatures on Earth, ants are considered to be rather interesting to the human mind.